Orange Jasmine
by Moonshinegirl235
Summary: Tea has finally come home after spending 10 years in New York with the New York City Ballet. Many things have changed since she was last there, and now she's looking after the children of Seto Kaiba. Will romance blossom, or do they need a little push. Te
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

A young lady in her late 20s got off the plane. Breathing in the air of her home, taking in the familiar surroundings, the warm feeling of being home coursed through her veins, making her glad that she was finally back after all these years.

'I wonder how everyone's doing,' she thought to herself. The minute she walked out of customs, she began searching for her friends.

"Tea, Tea," shouted a voice. The young lady looked towards the direction of the voice, and saw a familiar face.

"Joey. Oh my…" Joey Wheeler picked up his best friend and gave her a hug, in which Tea returned gladly.

"Let me get a good look at you." Joey put her down in front of him. In the ten years that has passed, Tea sure has changed. Her hair was no longer short, but long and ending at the middle of her back; she was thinner than usual, since she's been watching her weight for her job; her face showed maturity.

"The years did great for you," comment Joey.

"Same to you." Joey looked the same; only his hair was shorter and less messy than usual.

"Ahem," came another voice behind Joey.

"Yugi," asked a confused Tea. The figure nodded; Tea squealed and gave her other best friend a hug.

"You've changed," commented Tea.

"Yeah. I've gotten taller," joked Yugi.

"You look so much like Yami," whispered Tea, only loud enough for Yugi to hear.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. So, where's Tristan?"

"He left two months a go for a photo gallery opening in L.A.," answered Joey.

"I'm so happy for him. How about getting me home," suggested Tea.

* * *

"So, tell me, what have you two been up to," suggested Tea when they were in Yugi's car (with Yugi being the driver).

"Well, Mai and I are finally together, married, and waiting for our second child," replied Joey.

"I'm so happy for you Joey. Wait, your second child," asked a very confused Tea.

"Yeah. Christopher's 8 years old. He beat Kaiba's daughter by two weeks." A huge smile was planted on his face after revealing this little fact.

"How about you Yugi," asked Tea.

"I just came back from a dig in Egypt. I'll finally be able to teach at the local college."

"That's awesome. How's Kaiba? What did you say about his daughter?" Silence followed the question, and Tea can tell thatshe just touched a very touchy subject.

"What happened to him," she asked again.

"It's not so much as to what happened to him, but what happened to Maggie," answered Joey.

"What happened?"

"Maggie died giving birth to Bobby, Kaiba's son. Kaiba's now trying so hard to become the perfect dad and run a company at the same time," answered Yugi.

"Oh. I'm sorry for bringing that up," replied a saddened Tea.

"That's ok, you didn't know. So, how was your job in N.Y.C. with that ballet company," asked Joey.

"Great. I still wish that I was there. Dancing with the New York City Ballet was the best experience of my life. They offered me a job to teach at their official dance school, but I turned them down. I needed to be back home."

* * *

The sound of typing is the only sound that can be heard throughout the room. Seto Kaiba worked vigorously, trying to get the new product of Kaiba Corp out as soon as possible.

"Seto," came a voice.

"What is it Mokuba," asked Seto, not bothering to look up from his work.

"I'm taking Gwen and Bobby to the park. They're getting restless again. You coming?"

"Sure. I'll come with you."

* * *

Tea sat down on a nearby bench, taking it the scenery of kids playing in the playground, the trees, and the serenity of the park.

'Feels great to be back home,' she thought to herself with a sigh. A sniffle caught her attention, and she saw a boy, no older than 5, staring at her and on the brink of tears.

"What's wrong little one," she asked.

"I can't find my daddy. Can you help," the little boy pleaded. Tea couldn't help but smile at his innocence.

"Of course." The little boy smiled, and took her hand.

"Now, what does your daddy look like," asked Tea.

"He really tall, has brown hair, and wears a jacket," answered the little boy.

'Sounds like Kaiba,' Tea thought to herself.

"Bobby. Bobby," shouted a voice. Bobby ran over to an 8 year-old girl, and gave her a big hug.

"Gwen," squealed Bobby.

"God, don't ever do that again, do you hear me," interrogated the girl. Bobby nodded, and gave his sister another hug. Guinivere saw Tea, and bowed.

"Thank you very much miss. I'm sorry for the trouble that my brother caused."

"It's ok. I'm glad to help." Tea ruffled the little boy's hair, causing him to giggle.

"Gwen, Bobby. God, am I glad to find you both safe and sound," came another voice. A tall man with brown hair and blue eyes rushed over and gave both of his children a hug.

"Thank you miss for finding my children," thanked the father.

"No problem Kaiba," added Tea. Seto's eyes widened at what the young lady just called him.

"Do I know you?"

Tea rolled her eyes. "Don't tell me that you forgot Yugi's personal "cheerleader," and the girl who introduced you to the mother of your children."

Seto laughed at her smart remark.

"It's nice to see you again too Garderner."

'That's the first time he's laughed ever since mama died,' Gwen thought, 'Maybe this lady can help daddy to smile again.' The little girl tugged at her father's sleeve, getting his attention.

"Daddy, is it ok if the friendly lady stay with us. Didn't you say that you needed someone to take care of us," informed Gwen.

"You mean a nanny? Then yes, I did." Seto answered his daughter's question. "So, how about it Gardener? You up for the job of taking care of my two monsters."

"Daddy. I'm not a monster. Mommy always said that I'm an angel." Bobby had his hands over his chest, and a big pout on his face.

"How did… Never mind. I'll talk to you when we get home. So, how about it," he asked Tea. She looked at his two children, and couldn't help it by the looks on their faces. Guinivere was a splitting image of her mother; brown eyes full of warmth and maturity for a girl her age, dark brown hair with a bow in it, tan skin emphasizing her Asian heritage. Her brother, however, was a splitting image of their father; brown hair that was cut short, blue eyes that was just filled with so much innocence, and a teddy bear in which he always held onto. In other words, you can just tell that they were the children of Seto and Maggie Kaiba.

"Sure, I'd be glad to look after these two angels." Seto smiled, and this didn't' go unnoticed by Tea.

_'You should smile more. It suits you,'_ came Maggie's voice.

'You're right Maggie, it does suit him.' Tea pondered.

"So, when can I start?"

A.N. Ok, how is it so far? I got inspired by a fic that I was reading. By the way, this is a completely different storyline and follows the series more than my other fic. Read and review. NO FLAMES, OR YE SHALL REGRET IT. Bye.

Wintersangel739


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Tea dropped her bag down in her new room at Kaiba's mansion. The 28 year-old looked around her, admiring the room. The walls were covered in a peach colour, with a white ceiling; a dark cherry 4-post bed with a white canopy was in the center of the room; a matching vanity and night table; and peach carpet adorned the room beautifully.

'I can tell that this was your taste and ideas Maggie,' Tea thought to herself as she flopped down onto the bed.

_Knock. Knock._

"Come in," shouted Tea. The door creaked open, and in walked a shy Bobby.

"Auntie Tea," he answered timidly. Tea looked over towards his direction, and smiled when she saw the little boy.

"Hey Bobby, why don't you come over here and sit with me," offered Tea by patting the spot next to her. Bobby grinned, and ran onto the bed to sit on the offered spot.

"Did you really know mommy," he asked.

"Yes I did."

"What do you know about her?" He looked at her with curious eyes.

'Poor baby. You never go to know your mother,' Tea thought to herself.

"Well, what do you know about her," Tea asked, 'After all, he must know something about her.'

"I know what she looks like, but that's it. I don't remember anything that Gwen remembers," he answered.

"What does Gwen remember?"

"I remember her smell, voice, and caring nature," came Gwen's voice. Tea looked at the little girl, and noticed the pain in her eyes.

"Come here baby." Tea offered her arm to the near-crying girl. Gwen ran into her arms, and cried freely. Bobby started to cry too. Not because of his mother, but because he made his sister upset.

* * *

Seto was trying to work, but the scene that took place earlier kept playing in his mind. 

Flashback

_"So, when can I start," she asked._

_"Can you start today," asked Bobby._

_"Bobby," scolded Seto. Tea giggled, and kneeled down until she was eye leveled with Bobby._

_"Can you tell me your name," she asked. Bobby beamed, proud that someone so pretty asked for his name._

_"Robert Alexander Kaiba. And this is my sister, Guinivere Josephine Kaiba," answered Bobby. Guinivere smacked her brother on the head._

_"She asked for your name ONLY, not mine too dummy."_

_"Guinivere Josephine Kaiba, apologize to your brother right now," ordered Seto. The little girl folded her arms across her chest, and muttered a "sorry."_

_Tea giggle again, before giving her reply, "I'll be glad to start today. Just let me tell my parents."_

_"You still have to tell your parents," snorted Seto. Tea rolled her eyes._

_"Of course. I was planning to stay with them until I got a job. I am staying at your house, right?"_

_"Of course. Father isn't that stupid," answered Gwen._

_"Guinivere." Seto's voice was full of warning for his eldest child. Gwen looked up at her father, grinned, and "hehe"ed at her father._

_"Then it's settled. I'll phone my parents, and I'll be over as soon as I can."_

End of flashback 

'I'm just glad Guinivere took a liking to her, after what she did with the other nannies that I hired in the past.' Seto couldn't help but smile at his daughter's past antics; the endless screaming of not obeying the nannies, the pranks that caused the nannies to quit, the endless times he tried talking some sense into her.

_'But daddy, they're only after you're money. They don't care about us.' _

It turned out that she was right. All of the nannies were only after his money, and didn't care much for his children.

'Ever since Maggie died, my world's been turned upside down by those two.' A knock snapped Seto out of his thoughts.

"Come in." The door opened, and Tea walked into his office.

"I'm sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if you wanted to put the children to bed. I told Gwen that I would do it, but she insisted that you do it."

Seto smiled. That was one of the qualities he liked in his daughter: determination.

"I'm coming." He got up from his chair, and walked with Tea.

* * *

"And the princess lived happily ever after. The end," whispered Tea, seeing that Bobby was asleep. The young woman kissed the little boy on the head before tucking him in. 

"Goodnight little angel," she whispered. She closed the door, smiling at the little boy behind the door.

"I see that you're done," whispered a voice. Tea turned around, and saw Seto standing in front of Gwen's door.

"Yeah. I'm going to bed myself, if that's ok with you."

"That's fine. I'm going to be up late tonight anyways. Got to get the new product out as soon as possible. Goodnight." Seto walked towards his office, not hearing the "Goodnight" from Tea.

A.N.: Hey. Sorry for the long wait. Had to do the Christmas chapter. Hehe. Well, read and review. And remember, NO FLAMES.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The sun's rays shined into the young woman's room, lighting up the chamber. The young lady stirred; seconds later her alarm goes off.

"Good morning Domino. Time to wake up and get to work. It's a lovely Monday, with temperatures up in the lower 70s. So, go out there, and enjoy this lovely weather," announced the DJ. A hand came out of the bundle of covers, and slammed on the clock.

'Lovely indeed. God, I was in the middle of a wonderful dream too.' The young lady unwillingly got out of bed to get ready for the day ahead of her.

'I need a shower.' She gathered her things, went into her personal bathroom, undressed, turned on the shower, and stepped into the warm water.

'I wonder if Kaiba went to bed at all. Knowing him, he probably didn't. When I'm done, I'll wake up the kids and get them ready for school.' Ten minutes later, done with her shower, dressed and ready, the lady went into the girl's room to wake up the little girl.

"Guinivere. Come on baby, time to get ready for school." Guinivere looked at who woke her up, and saw her nanny.

"Five more minutes please," she begged. The nanny smiled, and tried again.

"No honey. If you don't get up now, you're going to be late. I'm sure your father won't be too happy if that happens. Come on. Up. That a girl." With much effort, Guinivere was able to get up and out of her bed.

"Now, get dressed. I'll be downstairs getting breakfast ready." The lady exited Guinivere's room, and went into Bobby's to wake up the little boy.

"Bobby sweetie, time to get up. You don't want to be late for first day of school."

"But I don't wanna go," he whined, pulling the covers over his head. The lady sighed.

"Come on. Either you get up now, or I'm pulling the covers off young man," she scold. That got the little boy's attention; he got up and started to dress.

"That a boy. I'll see you downstairs in 10 minutes. If you're not downstairs by then, then I'll know that you fell asleep." She exited his room, went into the kitchen, and began preparing breakfast. The sound of footsteps was heard later, and in came Guinivere and Bobby.

"Ok you two. Eat up, and I'll go and check up on your father," she instructed.

"But Tea, daddy didn't go to bed last night," answered Gwen.

"How did you know?"

"Cuz he never goes to bed. He sleeps in his study."

'He's hopeless,' the lady thought to herself. "Alright. I'll go into his study and wake him up. Meanwhile, you two eat up." She left the kitchen, and searched for his office. Five minutes later, she finally found it (after opening so many doors in the long hallway). The sight before her surprised her. She expected him to be up, with a cup of coffee and working diligently on his latest project. Instead, she found him asleep on the couch. On top of him was a red-leather cover book.

'Poor guy,' the lady thought to herself. She quietly went inside; she carefully took the book off of him. Unfortunately, it wasn't careful enough. Seto started to stir, and he opened his eyes to see that Tea was in his study.

"What are you doing in here," he interrogated. She did nothing more but just smile.

"Well, good morning to you too sleepy head. It's 7:30 in the morning, and it's time to send your kids off to school," she informed him. Seto grunted as he got up; he ran a hand through his disheveled hair and got up.

"You may want to get dressed first," recommended the lady.

"I know, I know. Bye. I'll be at the office until 7 tonight." And with that, he left.

'I wonder what the book was,' she thought to herself. She picked it up, and immediately recognized the contents inside.

'No wonder he was looking at this. Poor guy; I just wish that there was something that I can do.'

A.N.: Well? Ok ok ok. I know; this is a weird style of writing. J.D. Salinger used this type of writing style for his short story _Banana Fish._ I was just experimenting this style. If you hate it, please tell me. Don't worry; this will be the only time I'll write like this. Just trying something new, that's all. Anyways, you all know the drill. Read and review. NO FLAMES OR YE SHALL FEEL MY WRATH (I know it's getting old, but oh well).

Wintersangel739


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

'There's nothing to do,' Tea thought to herself as she lounged on the couch in the living room.

'Just exactly what did Maggie do when there's no one around? Oh yeah, I forgot. Gwen was only three when she died. Great, I just had to bring that up. Now, I feel like a jerk.'

"Miss," came a voice. Tea looked towards the direction of the voice, and saw one of the maids.

"Hi, and please don't call me miss. I'm also one of Mr. Kaiba's employees," answered Tea.

"Then what would you like us to call you," asked the maid.

"Tea. Tea is fine. And you are?"

"My name's Lillie ma'am. Mr. Kaiba told me to tell you to pick up the children around 2, and that he's coming home late tonight."

"Thank you Lillie." Lillie bowed, and left Tea to her thoughts

'Well, guess I'll go into the children's rooms to see if it needs cleaning up.' The young woman got up from the couch and proceeded to enter the two children's rooms.

* * *

'First stop, Gwen's room.' Tea slowly opened the door to reveal a bright room; the walls were a bright yellow; the carpet was the same color as the walls; the bed had a multi-yellow sheet set; the pillows had yellow flowers set in a white background; the bed was a four post bed made out of dark cherry; a white canopy draped the bed; a three-sided mirror, vanity, and chest were made of the same material as the bed; stuffed animals were placed on the bed. To Tea's surprise, there were no clothes or anything on the floor, and her bed was neatly made. 

'That's good. At least she's a neat freak like her mother. Ok, next stop, Bobby's room.' The young woman walked down the hall, and opened another door. There was a girl, around 20, laying one the bed, reading a book.

"I'm sorry. I must have the wrong room," apologized Tea.

"Tea," asked a voice. Tea looked in, and saw a tall man, around 6 ft, blue eyes, and spiky hair tied back into a ponytail

"Mokuba?" Mokuba nodded. Tea just stood there, shocked to see that Mokuba's now a full, grown man.

"So, this is the young lady that you told me about," replied the young girl.

"Yeah. Wow, I can't believe that Seto was telling the truth. You really are back," answered Mokuba.

"Yup. So, how have you been," asked Tea.

"Great. Oh, sorry for being rude. This is my girlfriend, Kyoko Halliwell." Kyoko put down her book, and extended her hand.

"It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise," answered Tea as she shook her hand.

"Can you do me a favor," she asked again.

"Sure," answered Mokuba.

"Can you please tell me where Bobby's room is? I've been looking forever."

"Sure. It's two doors down. Oh, and I suggest that you look into Seto's room too. It's right next to Bobby's. Heard that his room needed dusting, and can you just check to make sure he isn't lying."

"No problem. It was nice meeting you Kyoko."

"Same here. Bye."

* * *

'Well, Bobby's room needs cleaning. I'll make sure to tell him that when he comes home. Now, Kaiba's room.' Tea opened the door, and saw a beautiful room. The walls and carpet were a royal purple; there was a black cherry, four-post bed in the middle; purple sheets adorned the bed; there was a white canopy above the bed; the furniture, meaning the nightstand, vanity, and armour, were also made of black cherry. But, what surprised Tea the most were the pictures on the nightstand and vanity. They were of Maggie before and after she married Seto. There was one picture on the nightstand that Tea remembered so well. It was a picture of Maggie dressed in a simple red sundress, standing in front of a Sakura tree. Behind her was Seto, who had his arms wrapped possessively around his lover. The precious part was that both lovers were smiling. 

_'I had to convince him to smile that big after I told him he looked more sexy with one on.'_ Maggie told Tea one day when they were out.

'You're right. He does. Whoa, where did that come from?' Tea shook her head, and began her inspection.

'Kaiba was right. There is dust in his room. Better tell that to Mokuba.' Just before she left, a gleam caught her eye. Curious to see what it was, she went over to the vanity.

'Oh my God.' The young woman gasped at to what she saw. All of Maggie's old possessions were still on the vanity. Her perfume bottle, her jewelry, her brush… The only thing missing was her make-up.

'Poor Kaiba; he really misses her. What can I do to ease his pain?'

A.N.: Hey. Sorry for the long wait. Midterms just finished, and I have a load of work to do too. Plus, having a bad week can kill the inspiration. For one, my grandfather's in the hospital back in China. So, my parents had to go back to China to see how he's doing. Second, my best friend was admitted into the hospital after he had a seizure. Don't worry: he's fine now. Third, I had to study for midterms. And fourth, a lot of work was present. So, I do hope that you all forgive me. You all know the drill. NO FLAMES.

Wintersangel739


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Tea," shouted Gwen and Bobby as they both ran down to greet their nanny.

"Hey you two. How was school," asked Tea.

"Great. Look at what I got." Bobby held up a yellow, paper star, "Teacher said that I did a good job today saying the alphabet."

"That's terrific honey."

"Can we go now? I want to go home and bake cookies for daddy," exclaimed Gwen. Tea smiled, and nodded. All three of them went into the limo, and talked endlessly about their day.

* * *

"Are they done yet," whined Gwen. 

"Not yet. Just wait 10 more minutes." Gwen pouted, which made Tea giggle and ruffle the little girl's hair.

"Hey," giggled Gwen. Tea wiped her hands on the dishtowel, and proceeded to go and see what Bobby was up to.

"Ok honey. Turn off the video game. It's going to hurt your eyes."

"No," answered Bobby defiantly.

"Bobby," warned Tea.

"No," he shouted. The next thing he knew, the T.V. was off.

"Hey," he shouted to the culprit. There was Gwen, right next to the T.V.

"Gwen, your so mean," he shouted. Gwen smirked, giving off a you-know-it face.

"Gwen, Bobby, no arguing," replied Tea.

"But—"

"No buts. Come on, it's time to get washed up for dinner."

"Is daddy coming home for dinner," asked a hopeful Bobby.

"I'm sorry, but no. Your dad has a lot of work to do." Bobby's face dropped, making Tea's heart do the same thing.

'Poor baby. I've got to make Kaiba stay more time at home.'

* * *

The sound of the front door opening and clicking shut was the only sound heard throughout the big house. Footsteps led upstairs, and stopped in front of a door. The figure opened the door, and saw a woman sleeping on the bed of a little boy's. 

"Tea. Tea," whispered the figure as he shook the woman to wake up.

"Hm?" Tea opened her eyes, and saw Seto standing above her.

"You're home," she stated.

"Yeah. How were they?"  
"Great, as always. You want to stay, or going to bed?"

"I'll stay for a while." Tea nodded, and got up.

"You know, you should have seen your son's face. He adores and misses you."

"I know. Goodnight."

"Night." Tea left, closing the door behind her.

"Daddy," whispered a sleepy Bobby.

"I'm here," answered Seto.

"Where's mommy," he asked. That one little statement broke Seto's heart.

"She's gone," he answered painfully.

"But she was just here a minute a go," Bobby answered. Realization hit him. His own son was talking about Tea.

"She's going to bed. Do you want me to stay?" Bobby nodded; Seto sat down on his son's bed, weeping quietly.

* * *

The sun's rays seeped through the curtains, landing on the young man's face. Try as he might, he couldn't block the annoying sun's rays. His hand reached instinctively towards his right, and touched something soft. 

'Wait a minute.' He looked at his right, and saw a single red rose lying on the bed.

'Who would have…' He reached out to pick up the precious flower, and found a note attached.

_May your soul find peace. _That's all it said: "May your soul find peace."

'Gardener.' Anger was rising in his veins. Instead of gratitude, he felt anger.

'Just wait until I get my hands on her.' Seto looked at his clock, and saw that it was still pretty early.

'I doubt that she'd be up. Better talk to her alone than in front of the children.' With one swift movement, Seto Kaiba was out of bed, ready to confront the woman living in his house.

The first thing Tea noticed, as another weight on her bed.

'What the…' She opened up her eyes, and saw Seto Kaiba sitting on her bed.

"How dare you." His voice was seething with anger and venom.

"What," she asked, not registering that he was talking about the rose.

"How dare you butt into my business." That one little comment struck a chord in Tea's mind.

'He's talking about the rose.' "Look, I was only trying to help."

"I don't need your help or sympathy."

"Can't you take any emotions at all? You're going back to the way you were before you met Maggie."

"How dare you. You have no idea what I've been through."

"On the contrary. I know exactly what you're going through. I lost a love one too."

"Like I care to listen. Just stay out of my business Gardener."

"No," she answered defiantly.

"What did you say?" Seto's voice was full of threat and warning.

"I said no. Look, just listen to me."

"I've had enough of your speeches when we were in high school." He started to get up, but not before Tea grabbed his hand and pulled him down.

"What do you think you're doing? Let me go," he ordered.

"No, you're going to listen, and listen good. I know exactly what you're going through. I lost someone who was close to me, someone who made me whole."

"And who may that be? Some male dancer you met in New York?"

"As a matter of fact no. I fell in love and lost Ryou Bakura."

A.N.:

Hey, sorry for the long wait. Load of work and all. Anyways, surprised? Trust me, it took a lot of thinking and reading and inspiration for this to happen. I was actually going to do something similar for my crush on Valentine's Day (I was going to give him a fake yellow rose with my perfume sprayed on it. But, I then realized that I didn't like him anymore. So, I'm not doing it). Anyways, you all know the drill. Bye.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

**Flashback**

_The sound of the machine beeping was the only sound heard in the room. Tubes and wires were attached to a frail, young albino boy. A 25-year-old woman sat next to his bed, holding onto his hand, afraid of letting go_.

_'Why? Why did it have to be you? Why did you have to get cancer,' the girl thought to herself, desperately. The boy stirred, and opened up his chocolate eyes._

_"Ryou," whispered the girl. Ryou Bakura looked towards the source of the voice, and saw his fiancée._

_"Hey Tea. What's up," he asked weakly._

_"Why," she pleaded._

_"I'm sorry. If I'd known sooner, there would have been more time to find a donor." Tea shook her head, and faced her fiancé._

_"It's not your fault that you got Leukemia. I just wish that it wasn't you." Tears ran down her face; Ryou's heart broke at seeing his love one crying._

_"Don't cry Tea." He reached out a white hand to wipe away the tear, "Please don't cry for me."_

_"Please don't leave Ryou. I love you." Ryou smiled, knowing perfectly well that she truly loved him._

_"I know. I love you too Tea." He lowered his hand, and fell back asleep. Only this time, he would never wake up._

**End of Flashback**

"Everything was for him. The dancing, the performances, my career… Everything. After he died, I still danced for him; I still looked for him in the audience even when I knew perfectly well that he's not there, and that he'll never be there again for me. I left New York because it reminded me too much of the loss that I lost." Tea smiled sadly, hugging her knees to herself.

"You know Kaiba, you're sort of lucky. Sure you lost Maggie, but at least you get to visit her whenever you want. Me? I can't. Ryou's body is back in England, and I can't go back there and visit him. That only makes my pain greater." Tears began to stream down her face. She tried so hard not to cry, but the tears came out nonetheless. Suddenly, she felt a pair of warm arms wrapped around her.

"It's ok. Just let it out," Seto whispered. And, she did. She let out all the pain, all the sadness, all the suffering.

A.N.: Hey all. What do you think? I know, I know. Short chapter. Hehe. Gives you a glimpse into Tea's life when she was in New York. Next chapter, Seto visits Maggie's grave and more flashbacks of her as well.

Wintersangel739


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Days passed since Tea told Seto about her last moment with Ryou Bakura. Those two haven't talked to each other, and that began to worry Gwen and Bobby.

"You think that they got into an argument," asked a worried Bobby.

" I don't know. Let's just leave them alone. If things get worse, then let's check it out," answered Gwen.

* * *

Footsteps could be heard towards the direction of the attic. They got louder and louder and they got closer and closer to the door which leads up to the attic. The door opened; dust was everywhere, evidence that no one has been up here for a while. The figure walks to one specific area of the room. He pushes aside different boxes and objects, until he finds what he's looking for. Carefully, he brushed the dust off a music case, afraid that it would break. He slowly and cautiously picked up the case and opened it, revealing a wonderfully preserved violin. The man picks up the instrument gingerly, afraid that if he picks it up wrong, it'll break. Memories began to flood back, as he began to remember who previously owned this piece of art. 

**Flashback**

_"You did great," praised a 16-year-old Tea._

_"Thanks," answered Maggie. _

_"You did alright, for an amateur," answered another voice. Maggie looked up, and saw Seto Kaiba._

_"Excuse me," she replied._

_"You heard me. You did alright."_

_"Only alright? I'll let you know mister, I've been practicing this piece for months just to get it right."_

_"Whatever. I bet that all of it was just a recording. I bet that you didn't get into this troupe by talent."_

_"Watch it Kaiba," snapped Tea._

_"No Tea, it's alright. All right mister, if you think that you're so smart, how about I play the same piece right here, right now. No microphone, no stereo… No nothing."_

_"Fine, but you're just wasting my time."_

_"We'll see about that." Maggie picked up her violin, and began to play the opening piece for Riverdance. Amazing enough, Seto didn't say anything; he was entranced by her skills. When she was done, a smile was planted on Maggie's face._

_"You did alright. How about this, you come and play for me and teach my brother a thing or two about the violin."_

_"Why you little… Fine, I'll do it, but only because I'm doing this for your brother, not you," she retorted._

**End of Flashback.**

'It's amazing that we still managed to hit it off after our bad first encounter,' Seto thought to himself. He put the violin back into its case, and closed it. He looked again at the same spot, and took out several other cases. Inside these cases, there were his wife's other instruments: the flute, the yang qin, the pipa, the erhu, and the dizi.

'It's incredible that these are still in perfect shape. I can't wait until Gwen is old enough to learn these.'

"Kaiba," whispered a voice. Seto looked up, and saw Tea standing at the doorway of the attic.

"What do you want Gardener," Seto asked.

"Nothing. I just wanted to know where you were. Are those what I think they are," asked a curious Tea. She walked over to Seto, and sat down next to him.

"They are," she answered her own question.

"I still remember her teaching me how to play these instruments. The only one that I got was the flute. Do you still have her swords and knives?" Seto nodded.

"Can I see them," she asked sadly. Seto got up from his seat, and began searching for Maggie's demon slaying weapons.

"Found them." He took out a red bundle, and a sword still in its sheath. Tea strolled over to him as he unwrapped the red bundle, revealing two golden knives (A.N.: if you've seen Electra, then those are the same knives that I'm talking about. If not, then e-mail me or give me a review and I'll show you what they look like).

"They're still in good shape." Tea ran her finger over them, remembering all those times that Maggie nearly got herself killed.

"Yeah." Seto sighed, knowing well that all of these artifacts arose painful emotions and memories for them both. After all, Maggie Kaiba was Tea's best friend. Tea looked at him, noticing for the first time how close they were.

'He really is sexy,' Tea thought to herself.

'She's beautiful in this light.' Seto leaned closer, but paused. He wanted to make sure that he was doing all of this correctly; he didn't want to scare her off.

'Is he going to kiss me?' Not wanting to wait, Tea closed the distance between them, and brushed her lips on his. Electricity flowed through them, making them want more. Being the brave one, Seto leaned in, and gave her a full, passionate kiss on the lips. She gladly responded back, wrapping her arms around his neck. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer. She broke away, trying to catch her breath.

"That was…"

"Amazing," finished Seto.

"We can't," came her reply.

"Yes we can. Whether you want to believe it or not Gardener, we're attracted to each other."

A.N.: Well, how was it? Hope you all enjoyed that little Seto/Tea moment. By the way, Maggie was a music prodigy. She was already an accomplished musician at 16. And, she comes from a family of demon slayers, sort of like a witch. She has magical powers, and they are passed on to Gwen. If you want more info on her, e-mail me and I'll give you her profile. Also, the pipa, yang qin, and dizi are traditional Chinese instruments. Thanks. Read and review. NO FLAMES.

Wintersangel739


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The wind blew silently and calmly; the leaves rustled on the ground, indicating that autumn has arrived. It was a serene place, where visitors can come and go to visit loved ones. A figure stood before a grave, visiting his loved one.

"Hey Maggie. How are you? I do hope that you're well up there." He put the bouquet of peach roses in front of the grave.

"Well, Gwen and Bobby are growing up so fast. It's so hard to believe that Gwen's in the 4th grade, and that Bobby just started kindergarten. I can't wait for Gwen to pick up one of your instruments and learn how to play it. You know, she misses you a lot. She still has our wedding picture next to her bed. I keep telling her to keep it somewhere safe, but she insists to keep it on her nightstand. She said that the picture is the first thing she sees every morning, and she doesn't want to change that. Smart girl. Bobby's growing up wonderfully. He's always curious to know who his mother was. It's hard; it's so hard. I can't help but to break down every time he mentions you. But now, he's got a second mother.

She's great. She loves the children. She's warm, kind, caring… Almost just like you. I guess that's why I love her so much. Yes, I love her. But, don't worry; you'll always be in my heart. You know, I almost closed myself again to the world. But, she reminded me all of the things you did for me. I would never forget all of your efforts. After all, that's what brought us together. I do miss everything about you; your kiss, your smile, your voice… Everything. Although, there are certain things that I miss more, but I won't mention them here.

You may be wondering whom I fell in love with. You'd never guess. I'd never thought that I'd find love with her. I always didn't get along with her and her friends. I always got annoyed at her little speeches to the point that I just wanted to puke. But now, after getting to know her better, I realized that she and I are more alike that anything. She shares the same pain as me. Can you believe it? She fell in love with Ryou Bakura. I'd never thought that those two would fall for each other, but it turns out that they did. But, I'm guessing that you already know. He died from leukemia. She came back to Domino because New York City reminded her too much of her loss. You know, I never realized how luck I am. I never realized that I could come and visit you whenever I want. But, she can't. Ryou's body is buried back in his homeland, England. Her pain's more real and severe than mine. I have Gwen and Bobby; she has no one. I always took things for granted until someone points out how lucky I am. I miss you Mimi. I truly do."

"Seto," came a voice. Seto turned around, and saw his girlfriend.

"Are you done? Mokuba just called and said that you have a meeting in 15 minutes."

"Yeah. Just a few more minutes." Tea smiled, and walked up to Maggie's gravestone.

"How are you? Glad to hear from me again? I'm so sorry that I wasn't there for you. I didn't know. I lost contact with everyone. I just that there was some way for me to make it up to you."

"Don't worry Tea. You already did."

"Thanks. We better get going if you want to make it to you meeting."

"Just hold on. Maggie, I would like to introduce to you my new girlfriend, Tea Gardener."

A.N.: Well? Sorry for the wait. Work. Also, I won't be here until the beginning of April. I'm leaving for England on the 24th. Also, Mimi was Seto's nickname for Maggie.Well, read and review. NO FLAMES.

Wintersangel739


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Music flowed melodically throughout the house. The steps of someone dancing can be heard from one particular room: the ballroom. The figure inside stopped, and decided to take a break.

'I didn't think I was that out of shape,' she thought to herself. She heard a soft knock, and shouted that the knocker can come in. The door opened, and in walked Gwen.

"Tea," she shouted. She threw her bow onto the floor, and gave her nanny a big hug. Tea scooped her up, giving her favorite girl a big hug.

"Hey sweetie. How was your lesson," Tea asked.

"It was ok. Tea, my fingers hurt," Gwen whined.

"Aww… I'm sorry. Let me kiss them for you." Tea grabbed Gwen's right hand, and kissed each individual finger.

"Better," she asked. Gwen nodded happily, and gave Tea another hug.

Four months have passed; Tea's time with the Kaiba family has been great. Gwen, unexpectedly, took up archery after Tea took her and her brother to a summer fall festival, where the family saw a bunch of archers dressed in traditional garb.

"Tea, are you done dancing," Gwen asked innocently. Tea nodded, and put the young girl down.

"Just let me take a shower, and then we can go and watch T.V." Gwen squealed with glee.

* * *

Seto entered the house, finding no lights on but the T.V. On the couch slept two of the most important women in his life. Smiling at the sight before him, he quietly took his trench coat and covered both Gwen and Tea. Hey, it was a Friday, where was the harm in letting them sleep on the sofa. 

"Seto," whispered Tea. She opened up her eyes, and smiled at her boyfriend. Boyfriend; that still took some getting use to, calling Seto that.

"Sorry to wake you," he whispered back. Tea shook her head.

"It's ok. Guess we both fell asleep, huh?"

"Yeah. Here, let me get her." Tea picked the coat off of her body, and let Seto pick up his daughter. Walking up the stairs in darkness wasn't a good idea, as they both found out. Seto nearly tripped, and Tea nearly tripped him.

"Sorry," whispered Tea.

With Gwen placed into her bed, Tea said goodnight to Seto, and was off to bed herself.

A.N: Wow, almost a year and I didn't update. Don't worry, I'm not dead. Just have major writers block. I promised that I was going to write and update after my Model Congress last year, but the trutht is is that I got way to busy for my liking. Good thing this year, is that I'm done with college apps and have more free time. Bad news, is that I'm having some major writer's block. I dunno what kind of conflict to bring into this. Having Tea or the kids kidnapped is too cliche. Gimme ideas, and I'll see what'll happen. I already have an idea for the sequal to this, but I'm gonna try to finish this first. Ciao.

Moonshinegirl235


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